


Tale As Old As Time

by LesPhansie



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Beauty and the Beast, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-11-16 12:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesPhansie/pseuds/LesPhansie
Summary: He was running out of time. They were all running out of time. But who could ever learn to love a beast?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I thought that a Beauty and the Beast crossover could be a cool idea. It will be like the 2017 version. Might work, might not. We'll just 'watch what happens'.

Once upon a time in the hidden heart of France, a handsome young Prince lived in a beautiful castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was selfish and unkind. He taxed the village to fill his castle with the most beautiful objects and his parties with the most beautiful people.

Then, one night, an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter storm. As a gift, she offered the Prince a single rose. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince turned the woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's outward appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. The Prince tried to apologize but it was too late. For she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

As days bled into years, the Prince and his servants were forgotten by the world. For the Enchantress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved. But the rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Chapter 2

Katherine stepped outside of her little cottage, book in hand. She walked down the small staircase and took a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air. She always loved mornings. It meant a new start to a new day. Katherine glanced over at the church clock that peeked over some buildings. Eight o'clock. Immediately, the village became abuzz with "bonjour"s and sprang into action. Katherine began her journey to the church and saw women opening windows. Another woman was shaking out a rug. Stores started opening up and people mingled in the streets, just like every single day. The same people doing the same things. Katherine stopped to buy a loaf of bread from the baker, the kind she always got, and spotted Mr. Bunsen, a potter, among the crowd.

"Good morning, Mr. Bunsen. Have you lost something again?" Katherine asked the potter as he kept checking his cart.

"I believe I have. Problem is, I can't remember what. Well, I'm sure it will come to me," Bunsen replied, scratching his head. "Where are you off to?" he asked the girl as she turned to leave.

"To return this book to Mr. Seitz. It's about two lovers in fair Verona," she replied as she pictured the story in her head.

"Sound boring," Bunsen scoffed.

Katherine smiled at him as she left. No one understood why she loved to read. She was considered an outcast for it. Katherine could vividly remember her father reading to her and her twin brother when they were little. Their mother always sat close by and listened in. Katherine always loved reading stories and imagining her own while all the other girls played their games. She didn't have many friends, but she had her parents and her brother, and she was okay with that. However, the life that she had been living didn't stay like that forever. First the disease came to her father. He became bedridden and couldn't work or even read to his children. Katherine's mother tried to find work in the village, but no one wanted to hire a woman. Without the money to afford a doctor, Katherine's father passed. Her mother was the next to catch it. She was always taking care of her husband and got the disease from him. She passed within a week after their father, from sickness and exhaustion from taking care of two little kids.

Katherine's brother contracted the disease next. His sickness wasn't as serious and quickly went away, but he was left disabled in his right leg and used a wooden crutch to get around. Katherine had been lucky and somehow never got sick. She and her brother were soon sent away to live with their aunt and uncle in a different town nearby. When they both got older. they moved back to their childhood village. It reminded them of their parents and of their life before everything changed. Katherine looked back at the happy memories whenever she was reading.

Katherine continued making her way through the town, choosing to ignore the scoffs and stares. She always blocked out the people's negative thoughts and comments about her. "There must be a more exciting life than the one here." This wasn't an uncommon thought. She and her brother always talked about moving far away, but would never actually go.

Katherine approached the church and went inside to find Mr. Seitz smiling at her. "Well! If it isn't the only bookworm in town. So where did you run off to this week?"

The young woman replied, "Two cities in Northern Italy. I didn't want to come back." She handed the book back to Seitz, who put it with the rest of the books. "Have you got any new places to go?"

"I'm afraid not. But you may reread any of the old ones that you'd like," Seitz told her. It shouldn't been a problem, as Katherine was the only person to ever check out books from him.

"Thank you, Mr. Seitz. Your library almost makes our small corner of the world feel big," Katherine gratefully told the man. She took out a new book, even though she had already read it, and waved goodbye.

Katherine immediately started reading the book as she stepped outside. As usual, she received more looks and remarks, but continued to go back to her home.

Oscar sat on his horse just beyond the village, looking at the girl with the book through a spyglass. "Look at her, Morris. My future wife. Katherine is the most beautiful girl in the village. That makes her the best."

Morris, his best friend who was on his own horse beside Oscar, replied, "But she's so well-read, and you're so...athletically inclined."

"I know. Katherine can be as argumentative as she is beautiful," Oscar sighed, still looking at the person he loved.

Morris smiled at his hero, "Exactly, who needs her, when you've got us!"

"Yes, but ever since the war I've been missing something. And she's the only girl I've met who gives me that sense of..." Oscar paused, not able to think of a word to describe the feeling.

"Je ne sais quoi?" Morris filled in.

"I don't know what that means," Oscar huffed and trotted toward the village with Morris in tow. Oscar was determined to get Katherine. Ever since he saw her the first time, he was attracted to her. She was the prettiest girl in the village and Oscar knew he was the best looking guy. Why wouldn't they be perfect together? He had been making plans to marry Katherine for a while. Now he just had to make sure that she agreed.

Oscar passed a cluster of girls, all staring at him and pretty much begging for his attention. These girls did this every time they saw Oscar and he was getting annoyed with it. He would only ever like Katherine. Oscar dismounted his horse, making sure to splash the girls with mud. He gave a smug smile after seeing their shocked faces.

Morris went up to the now dirty group. "It's never gonna happen, ladies." He sauntered off to find Oscar.

Oscar grabbed a flower bouquet from a nearby stand in the market area. Now he just needed to find Katherine. As soon as he spotted her, he began pushing his way through the crowd. He needed her to be his wife. Oscar thought that every person in the village was at the marketplace in that moment, seeming to keep him away from the only person he loved.

Oscar finally reached Katherine, who was nearing her cottage. "Good morning, Katherine! Wonderful book you have there," he said, slightly out of breath.

"You've read it?" Katherine asked surprised.

"Well, not that one. But, you know. Books." Oscar paused as he handed her the flowers. "For your dinner table. Shall I join you this evening?"

"Sorry, not tonight," Katherine calmly rejected him. Not that she ever planned to do anything with him.

Oscar was getting desperate. "Busy?"

"No." Katherine sounded uncertain, but she hurried off, leaving an annoyed Oscar.

Morris finally caught up to him. "So. Moving on?"

Oscar scoffed. Why did his friend think that he would ever be over Katherine? "No, Morris. It's the ones who play hard to get that are always the sweetest prey. That's what makes Katherine so appealing. She hasn't made a fool of herself just to gain my favor. What would you call that? "

"Dignity?" Morris asked.

"It's outrageously attractive, isn't it?" Oscar gave one last hopeful look in Katherine's direction and left.

Katherine stepped into her small cottage. It wasn't what anyone would call big, but it was enough to live by. She approached the next room to find her twin brother in his workspace, humming the tune to the music box he was making. Katherine was always impressed with his work. Her brother was really good at working with his hands. It was one of the only jobs he could do considering his condition.

Katherine's brother eventually looked up and noticed her standing by the door. "Oh, good, Katherine, you're back. Can you please hand me the - "

Katherine handed him the screwdriver before he could even say it.

"And the - "

A pair of tweezers was placed in his hand, immediately followed by a small hammer.

"No no. I don't need - ," he said right before a spring popped off. "Actually yes, that's exactly what I need."

"Crutchie," Katherine started as she sat down on a chair, "do you think I'm odd?"

"You? Odd? Where did you get an idea like that?" Crutchie looked up from his work to glance at his sister.

"I don't know. People talk," Katherine shrugged.

"Oh. People. This village may be small, small-minded even, but small also means safe," Crutchie replied. Then he gestured toward the music box he was just working on. "Will you get this on the wagon?"

Katherine got up from the chair and did as she was told. She set the work of art in the back of the wagon along with her brother's crutch as he hopped on the front the wagon. When he was finally situated, he looked at Katherine.

"What would you like me to bring you from the market?"

"A rose," Katherine told him. Her father always brought home a rose for her mother. Sometimes he would even get her one.

Crutchie chuckled. "You ask for that every time."

"And every time, you bring it."

"Then I shall bring you another. You have my word. Come on, Philippe!" Crutchie pulled on the reins to make the old horse go.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Katherine waved goodbye.

"Tomorrow! With the rose!" Crutchie called back as he was getting further away.

Katherine watched him ride away. "Stay safe," she said to herself. As soon as Crutchie and Philippe disappeared, Katherine went back inside the cottage. She still had work to get done, so she went to her room to gather what she needed to wash clothes.

Katherine came back out and left her cottage to go to where all the other women did their laundry. She put the clothes in a small wooden barrel along with some soap chips. Then she rolled it into the fountain and tied a strap to her mule's harness to connect the barrel. Katherine had the mule walk around the fountain to clean the clothes.

"What are you doing?" a little girl came over and looked very confused with the new contraption.

"The laundry," Katherine smiled as she took out her book to read. She noticed the girl still staring at her. "Come! Would you like to learn how to read?" Katherine waved her over. The girl hesitantly sat beside her and tried to make out the words. Katherine had never seen anyone so intent to learn. The girl had troubles at first, but she was a fast learner and easily caught along.

"What does this say?" Katherine asked the girl, pointing at some words on a page.

"The blue bird flies..." she started, pausing before the next word.

"Over the dark wood," Katherine helped her out.

"What on earth are you doing? Teaching another girl to read? Isn't one enough?" Katherine looked up to see an angry group of three people. They all looked disgusted.

"We have to do something," one of them said. The group took the barrel out of the water and dumped its contents onto the ground. Katherine immediately began picking up the clothes and tried to remain calm, which was hard to do when a crowd of people gathered over to gawk and laugh at her. She grabbed the rest of her supplies and quickly walked back to her cottage.

"Katherine!" Oscar came out of nowhere and caught up to her just as she stepped through the gate. "Heard you had a little trouble in the village. Can I give you a little advice about the villagers? They're never going to trust the kind of change we're trying to bring."

Katherine groaned as Oscar opened the gate to get closer to her and stepped on some cabbages. All that hard work for nothing. "All I wanted was to teach a child to read, "she said rather angrily. She truly just wanted to help the girl, she didn't do anything wrong.

"The only children you should concern yourself with are... your own," Oscar said in a hopeful manner.

Katherine stared at him. Did he really think she would fall for this? "I'm not ready to have children."

"Maybe you haven't met the right man," Oscar tried again.

Katherine sighed. "It's a small village, Oscar. I've met them all."

"Maybe you should take another look. Some of us have changed."

"Oscar, we could never make each other happy. No one can change that much," Katherine climbed the stairs that led inside her small house, Oscar close behind.

"Katherine, do you know what happens to spinsters in our village when they have no one? They beg for scraps, like poor Agathe," Oscar gestured to a dirty homeless woman across the street, begging for money. He continued, "This is our world. For simple folk like us, it doesn't get any better."

"I might be a farm girl, but I'm not simple. I'm sorry, but I will never marry you, Oscar." Katherine opened the door to sneak in her cottage and then shut it in Oscar's face.

Oscar finally gave up and left once he realized that the girl he loved wouldn't come out while he was near. Katherine opened the door again as soon as she saw him leave. "Can you imagine? Me, the wife of that boorish, brainless... Madame Oscar, can't you just see it? Me, his little wife." She never would marry him. She wanted much more than that.

Katherine stepped out of her yard and went to a hill by the outskirts of town. She always loved to walk there when she was alone. It was peaceful, and she definitely needed it right now after the whole Oscar episode. She just wanted an adventure, but no one could understand that. Everyone had simple lives that were all planned out. Katherine wanted, needed something different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that technically Pulitzer would be in Crutchie's place, but I'm pretty sure we can all agree that he is way more loveable than him.
> 
> Tell me what you guys thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot! I finally updated! For those of you that are actually reading this, enjoy!

"The woods are lovely, aren't they Philippe...? I only wish I recognized them. Do you know where we are? Because I don't." Crutchie sighed. He was officially lost. With the storm brewing around him, he must have accidentally taken a wrong turn. Thunder continued to roll as lightning flashed throughout the night sky. Crutchie still kept going. He didn't know where, but he wasn't one to accept defeat. Maybe he would eventually find a place to rest.

All of a sudden, a huge flash of lightning appeared right in front of the young man and struck a tree. "Woah!" he cried as he veered Philippe to the left to avoid being hit. The tree split in half and part of it fell across the path Crutchie was traveling. "Hmm... yes, we can go this way. Walk on! One path closes, another one opens," Crutchie said as his horse whinnied, but moved on.

They continued to walk down the mysterious, new path. Crutchie squinted at the ground. Was that...snow? It couldn't be; it was the middle of June. He was clearly wrong. It was like he entered a new world. The temperature dropped, more than he would have liked and there was even more snow. It began to coat his jacket.

Crutchie pulled on the reins to stop the horse. He had a feeling he wasn't alone, like there was something watching him. Snap! A branch broke. Crutchie turned around to see the steely, gray eyes of a wolf staring at him.

"Go, Philippe! Hurry!" he ordered the horse as he snapped the reins. Even though he was sure this was the fastest Philippe ever ran, the wolf was catching on to him. Crutchie wasn't sure how long he would last, now that other wolves decided to join and follow the leading wolf.

He urged Philippe on, not daring to look back. "There's gotta be somewhere I can-," Crutchie's thought was interrupted as his cart veered to the right and toppled over, all the contents now on the ground. The harness broke off and Philippe ran away, disappearing in the trees. The young man landed on the ground with a thud and immediately grabbed his crutch that fell right beside him. Even though he was outnumbered, he could at least try to fight off the wolves and very possibly get away.

As Crutchie got up from the ground, he saw a blur of a wolf right before his eyes. However, he was quick enough to knock the it away with the crutch. It fell on the ground, stunned. Crutchie figured that it must have been the alpha wolf, seeing how the rest of them only seemed to watch the now unconscious one. Good. He could use the time to try to get away. He started to climb a small snow hill that was right behind him. The wolves looked up and left their leader to surround the victim. Crutchie's breathing was getting heavy. He brandished his crutch, just in case a wolf decided to attack.

Clip clop. Clip clop. He heard Philippe galloping his way to him. Soon, the horse appeared and was getting close enough for Crutchie to jump on. But if he missed, who knows what would happen. He had to do it. There was no other way out of this. The horse was getting closer. Crutchie took a deep breath and jumped as far as he could, hoping he wouldn't miss. He sailed through the air and soon felt the horse under his legs. He made it.

Crutfhie resituated himself, hanging on for dear life, and tucked his crutch under his arm as he urged Philippe on. All of the wolves were still chasing him. Through the falling snow, he could make out the image of a gate. Crutchie and Philippe approached it as it opened up. As soon as they passed, he looked behind him to see how close the wolves were. He wasn't expecting them to stop right before the gate or even whimper away, as if they were scared of something.

As soon as the wolves were a safe distance away, Crutchie shakily dismounted Philippe and looked around him. He hadn't seen that the gates led to a huge castle. The stone skyscraper was bigger than anything he'd ever seen. The entire front was surrounded by a garden with all types of flowers and bushes that were taller than people. Of to the side was a stable, it's doors swinging wide open in the wind. Crutchie led the horse to the stable and locked him in a pen. Everything that was needed to take care of a horse was already set out, as if someone was expecting them.

"Water, fresh hay. Looks like you're set. Rest here..." Crutchie stroked Philippe's neck and gave a nervous glance at the intimidating castle. "While I pay my respects to our host...whoever that may be..."

Crutchie hobbled up to the entrance and pushed the huge door open. "Hello? Anyone home?" Silence. Perhaps he wasn't loud enough. "Forgive me, I don't mean to intrude. I need shelter from the storm. Hello?" Right before him was a gigantic staircase that led up to another floor. The walls were covered with various paintings and other types of art. Crutchie was sure he hadn't seen anything as eerily beautiful as this. He started to explore the castle in hopes of finding someone, coming across what appeared to be an abandoned lounging area. There were plenty of tables and chairs, a feather duster on one of the tables. The young man continued on as he passed a small table that held a clock and a candelabra.

"Must have lost his way in the woods," the candelabra whispered to his friend.

"Shut up, you idiot," the clock harshly whispered back.

Crutchie quickly turned around. He could have sworn that he heard voices, but nothing seemed different. Everything was how it already was. Crutchie turned back around again, hearing the sound of a harpsichord echoing through the rooms. He found himself walking down a dimly lit hallway and wandering into a ballroom, one of the biggest rooms he had ever seen. The tune stopped and the harpsichord just sat at the side of the room. No one appeared to have played on it, as the bench was still dusty. Crutchie couldn't help but feel a little bit freaked out. Something just seemed...off.

He went back to the lounging area, where there was a fire place to warm up. Finding the owner of the castle could wait for a little longer. "Wherever you are, I'm just going to warm myself by the fire," Crutchie said out loud even though he wasn't sure that anyone was listening. He went over to the fire and stretched out his cold hands over the flames. As soon as he finished warming himself up, he set out to find the castle's owner again.

Crutchie walked through another long hallway and found himself entering a dining room. The room was very spacious and it had a long table that held plates and bowls with different foods in the middle. There was a giant turkey in the center, surrounded by a few loaves of bread and fruit and desserts. Crutchie couldn't help but sit down and dive into all of the food. He hadn't eaten in a while and was getting rather hungry. While he was in the middle of eating a slice of bread, a teacup suddenly slid up next to him. Crutchie stared at the small cup, confused by what had just happened.

"My sister said I wasn't supposed to move because it might be scary. Sorry," the teacup whispered.

"It's all right," Crutchie replied. He stared at it for a second longer before bolting from the table. Teacups weren't supposed to talk. By what he had experienced, the castle seemed to be haunted. He quickly found the entrance through the maze of rooms called out to whoever might be listening. "Thank you. Really, I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality and kindness."

Crutchie pushed the door open and went to the stable to get Philippe. He led the horse out of the stall and he saw a rose bush from the corner of his eye. "I can't forget Katherine's rose!" he exclaimed. Even if he didn't make it to the market, he could still get his sister what she asked for. Crutchie scanned the bush, looking for the perfect rose. As soon as he picked one, he heard a loud roar come from above him. He dropped the rose as a dark figure appeared out of nowhere right before him. Philippe became startled and ran out of the gates, abandoning his owner. Crutchie stumbled and fell in the snow as the figure loomed over him.

Katherine sat down in her cottage with the book she borrowed. She needed to relax. It had been a long day: the townspeople seemed more disgusted with her today, she had to redo her laundry, Oscar was still getting on her nerves, and now she was alone for a few days. Katherine's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft whinny come from outside. She opened the window to see Philippe...without her brother. She rushed outside to the horse, who immediately started drinking from the trough.

"Philippe! Where's Crutchie?!" Katherine asked as she stroked the horse's neck. "Take me to him!" She hopped on the horse and let him lead her to where her brother was. She knew that he would understand what to do. After crossing a field, they entered the woods. Philippe was taking her on a path she had never seen before. Along some of the trees, Katherine could see the cart that Crutchie took, everything scattered all over the ground. She took a deep breath and moved on past it. She was going to find him.

Katherine continued to travel on the new trail as Philippe led the way, only shivering a little from the snow that was now on the ground. The horse eventually entered the gates of a huge castle and stopped in the middle of the garden. Katherine gasped; she had never seen anything like this before. Was this where Crutchie really was? She hopped of Philippe and approached the castle doors when something caught her eye: her brother's crutch lying in the snow. He definitely was here and she could sense that something bad was going to happen if she just stayed outside and did nothing.

Katherine picked up a dead tree branch of the ground and held it up high before entering, just in case. She slowly opened the door and cautiously stepped inside, not knowing what to expect. Everything was eerie and darker than she would have liked. Katherine held the branch even higher, tightening her grip.

"Look, Davey. A beautiful girl!"

"I can see it's a girl. I lost my hands, not my eyes."

"But what if she is the one? The one who will break the spell?"

Katherine quickly turned around. She could have sworn she heard someone talk. "Who said that? Who's there?" Her heart beat faster. She stepped toward where she thought she heard the voices, but only saw a clock and a candelabra. As Katherine was examining the area, a loud cough echoed in the building. Crutchie. She grabbed the candelabra from the table and set off to find her brother, wherever he was. The coughs led Katherine to a winding staircase and she anxiously ran up. When she reached the top, she found exactly who she had been looking for. Her brother was locked up in some sort of prison cell, stuck behind the many metal rods that prevented him from getting out.

"Crutchie!" Katherine dropped down by the door and gripped on the bars. Now that she was closer, she could see that her brother was paler than he should have been and that beads of sweat were stuck on his forehead.

Crutchie glanced up to see his sister on the other side of the cell. "Katherine? How did you find me?" He coughed again and scooted as close to her as he could.

Katherine set the candelabra and branch down to grab her brother's hands. "Oh, your hands are ice. We need to get you home," she said as she looked around for a way to get him out.

"Katherine, you must leave here at once. This castle is alive! Now go, before he finds you!" Crutchie practically begged her.

"Who?"

A loud roar filled the air. Katherine snatched the branch up from the ground and held it up, ready to strike. In the shadows she could see a figure on another staircase to her right. "Who's there? Who are you?" she questioned the figure, her heart beating faster than usual.

"Who are you?" the voice growled back at her.

Katherine took a small step closer to whoever was talking to her. "I'm here for my brother."

"Your brother is a thief."

"Liar!" Katherine shouted. She could sense that Crutchie wanted her to calm down, but she wasn't backing down now, not when this...thing...was calling her brother out for something that he wasn't.

"He stole a rose!" the voice shouted back.

Katherine's eyes grew wide. Crutchie was getting punished for her. He didn't deserve it. This was all her fault. "I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him!" she cried out.

"No, he means forever. Apparently that's what happens around here when you pick a flower," Crutchie called out in protest. He couldn't let his sister be stuck her for the rest of her life.

"A life sentence for a rose?" Katherine said in disbelief, aghast at what she heard.

The voice gave a sarcastic laugh. "I received eternal damnation for one. I'm merely locking him away. Now... do you still wish to take your brother's place?"

"Come into the light," Katherine said. Maybe catching the figure off guard would allow her some time to think of a way to get both of them out.

The figure didn't move; he remained by the staircase. That didn't stop Katherine. She grabbed the candelabra and thrust it to where the voice was coming from. She gasped, not expecting what she saw. This was no human. He was taller than a normal human and was covered in fur. Two horns were on his head and looked as if he was staring into her soul. The only human-like quality was his bright blue eyes, which stood out from the rest of him. What she didn't notice was the slight grimace he gave when she gasped.

"Choose!" the beast roared.

"No!" Crutchie cried out after a cough, "I won't let you do this, Katherine. Just go."

"Ok, fine. I will leave," Katherine told her brother. Then she turned to the beast. "I need a minute alone with him." The beast just stood there, not saying anything in response.

"Are you so cold-hearted that you won't allow me to say goodbye to my brother?" Katherine practically shouted. The beast still didn't talk; he just rolled his eyes.

"Forever can spare a minute!"

The beast stared at the irritating girl and a scowl came across his face. He walked slowly to the cell, noticing how the girl took a step back when he came closer. He sighed and pulled a huge lever that unlocked the door. "When this door closes, it will not open again," he said, getting impatient.

Katherine rushed in the prison and immediately hugged her brother. "I should have been with you, Crutchie," she said, almost in tears.

Crutchie hugged his sister back. "Katherine, listen to me. It's all right. Live your life. Forget me."

"Forget you? How could you say that!" she exclaimed.

"I love you, Katherine. Don't be afraid, " Crutchie hugged his sister tighter.

"I love you too," Katherine said as she helped her brother back to his feet. "And I will escape, I promise."

"What?!" Crutchie called out in confusion. Before he even realized what was happening, he was shoved out of the prison. He landed on the ground and looked up to see Katherine in his spot and the beast loudly locking the door back up. This was supposed to be the other way around. Crutchie was supposed to be locked up for the rest of his life while Katherine could freely enjoy hers.

The beast stared at her in shock. "You took his place."

Katherine gripped the iron bars. "He's my brother."

"He's a fool. So are you." The beast turned to Crutchie and started dragging him out of the tower by his wrist.

"No! Please take me instead of her!" Crutchie tried to escape the grip on his arm, but it wouldn't budge. The beast dragged him even faster in response.

"Don't hurt him!" Katherine was in tears. Her brother disappeared from her sight; it was probably the last time she would ever see him. Katherine let go of the bars to lean up against the cold, stone wall. She slumped down, arms around her knees, and completely drained her body of tears.

She had no idea how long she stayed like that. It could've been a few minutes, it could've been a few hours, but a voice made her look up.

"Forgive my intrusion, mademoiselle, but I have been sent to escort you to your room."

Katherine immediately stood up as the cell door swung open, grabbing a stool and raising it over her head. This place wasn't normal at all. "My room? But I thought - "

"What? That once this door closes it will not open again? I know, he gets so dramatic," the voice interrupted her.

Katherine rushed outside, stool still raised, expecting to find a grown man. But there wasn't a man, only...the candelabra?

"Hello!" it waved at her.

"Ahhh!" Katherine screamed, hitting the candelabra to the ground with the stool. It seemed stunned for a few seconds, but it quickly recovered and stood back up. Looking closer, Katherine could see that the candelabra had a face.

"Oh, you are very strong. That's a great quality!" it told her. She almost hit it again, but decided that it wouldn't get her anywhere.

"What are you?" Katherine asked, still confused on what was happening.

The candelabra smiled at her, "I'm Race!"

"And you can talk?" Katherine questioned.

"Of course he can talk, it's all he ever does!" a new voice was heard as a small clock came into view. "Now Race, as head of the household, I demand that you put her back in the cell at once!" Katherine ran back into the cell to find a different weapon, if needed.

"What do you want to be for the rest of your life, Davey: a man or a mantle clock?" Race whispered to his friend. He turned his attention to Katherine as soon as she came back out of the cell empty-handed. "Ready, miss?" The young woman hesitantly followed. Race turned back to the clock. "Trust me."

Katherine continued to follow Race and Davey out of the tower, onto a stone walkway that was high above the ground. There still wasn't a good chance to escape. "You must forgive first impressions," Race apologetically said as he walked on, "I hope you are not too startled."

"Why would I be startled? I'm talking to a candle," Katherine sarcastically said.

"Candelabra, please. Enormous difference. But consider me at your service, "Race replied, "The castle is your home now, so feel free to go anywhere you like - "

"Except the west wing," Davey chimed in. After his friend glared at him, he added, "Which we do not have."

"Why, what's in the west wing?" Katherine asked.

"Uh... nothing. Storage space. That's it," Race quickly said.

Katherine looked to her left to see a tower she hadn't yet seen. Probably the west wing, but she couldn't know for sure. The clock and the candelabra refused to tell her anything about it.

"This way, please!" Race motioned for the young woman to follow him as he saw that she was dawdling behind.

"To the east wing!" Davey said, somewhat nervously.

"Or as I like to call it, the only wing!" Race led Katherine into a new tower and stood beside a closed door. "Welcome to your new home. It's modest, but comfortable..."

Katherine gasped as the door was opened. It was more beautiful than anything she'd seen. The ceiling was a light blue and full of clouds that seemed almost real. In the corner of the room, there was a huge wardrobe, the same color as the ceiling. A big vanity with and equally big mirror was across from the wardrobe. A poofy, pink canopy bed lay in the middle of the room and a golden chandelier came down from the ceiling, glimmering on the walls.

"It's...beautiful," Katherine breathed out, taking in everything in the room.

"Of course," Race said, "Jack wanted you to have the finest room in the castle." He hopped on the bed and dust immediately filled the room. "Oh dear! We were not expecting guests."

As soon as Race had spoken, a feather duster in the shape of a bird flew in the room. "Enchanté, Mademoiselle! Don't worry, I'll have this room spotless in no time!" she said as she started sweeping up the layer of dust.

"This plan of yours is...dangerous," the feather duster said as she finished her job and flew into Race's arms.

"I would risk anything to kiss you again, Smalls," Race flirted back.

Davey rolled his eyes and cleared his throat before anything else happened between the two lovers. Listening to them flirt with each other for many years got old.

Katherine took a few steps back. She was still pretty freaked out, even though these...things...were nothing but nice to her. "Is everything here alive?" she asked as she picked up a brush from the vanity, "Hello, what's your name?"

Davey stared at the guest. "Um... that's a hair brush."

"LAAAAA!" came a new and shrill, operatic voice. Katherine screamed at the sudden outburst and jumped.

"Do not be alarmed, mademoiselle. This is just your wardrobe. Meet Miss Medda Larkin. A great singer," Race assured her.

"When she can stay awake," Davey added dryly.

"Davey! A diva needs her beauty sleep!" Medda playfully scolded her friend. She yawned and started to fall asleep again.

Race noticed that they were already losing the wardrobe. "Ah, stay with us, Medda! We have someone for you to dress!" he said in an attempt to keep her awake.

Katherine didn't have time to react before the wardrobe's arms grabbed her face and inspected it. "Finally. A woman. Pretty eyes. Proud face. Perfect canvas. Yes! I will find you something worthy of a princess," Medda gushed.

"But I'm not a princess," Katherine protested.

"Nonsense! Now, let's see what I've got in my drawers." Medda rummaged through her drawers and placed a large, metal hoop over Katherine's head. All kinds of fabric and ribbons came after and covered Katherine, making her uncomfortable.

"Froufrou! Come here and help me!" Medda called her dog, a piano stool, into the room when she was almost done with the dress. The barking stool obeyed and tugged on a loose ribbon.

"Perfect!" Medda exclaimed as she finished. Katherine just stood there, not able to move because of her new outfit. It was nearly impossible to walk with the hoop constantly in her way. She felt like the tight ribbons were sucking the breath out of her and there was a lot of fabric to move around in.

"Mm. Subtle. Understated. I love it!" Race said as Katherine pretty much glared at him. The poofiness and all the ribbons were not going to work.

"We should probably get going. Good night, Miss Katherine," Davey called out as he, Race, Smalls, and Froufrou left the room. As soon as the door closed, Medda fell back asleep. Katherine sighed and crouched down to crawl out of the bottom of the dress. She ran to the window and opened it, noticing the tall drop that waited below her. That would make it hard to escape. There had to be some way to get out of the castle. Katherine's eyes searched the room and landed on the dress, an idea forming in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> I know this first chapter is obnoxiously short, but it was a good place to stop. Future ones will definitely be longer. And I basically just copied and pasted this whole chapter because I feel like it explains it good, even though I'm sure you all know the story. I plan to update as often as I can. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Try guessing who some of the characters will be. I'm curious to see what you think.


End file.
